Dwyane Wade sends message with apparel, 'I am a voter'

It is a political statement that Dwyane Wade believes should be made no matter the side taken on the discourse.

So he has made it part of his wardrobe, be it the "I am a voter" hat or his "I am a voter" hoodie he has worn during this Miami Heat trip that ends Monday night against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena.

"I think it's very important," he said of promoting participation as Tuesday's Election Day looms. "We've got a lot of people who like to complain about things, right? What they don't like. And you've ... an opportunity to be a part of that change if you don't like something, right, as a community?

"So get out there voting, using your voice, using your power that you have when you have it. It's crucial."

Unlike other celebrities, Wade said there has been no measuring his statements, fashion or otherwise.

"I don't weigh that," he said of the brands he endorses possibly being impacted by his political and civic views. "I feel like this is who I am and if somebody doesn't want to be associated with me because of my beliefs and who I am, then I don't need to be associated with them.

"The cool thing about me, a lot of things that I do, a lot of my partners, I sit down and let them know, 'Hey, these are the things that we're going to do. … These are some of the things I'm going to do.' So I know I've got their full support, as well."

While Wade's sneaker line, Li Ning, is mostly distributed in China, most of his other endorsements are for domestic brands.

"I wouldn't need to be associated with someone who didn't want to be 100 percent associated with me, with my beliefs and the things I do," he said.

Wade, 36, said he has not drawn a line of being more active politically, just that his basketball obligations are busiest at the height of political season.

"My schedule is very busy," he said. "I've got a lot of stuff going on when I leave the gym. Me, I like to support when I can, where I can. But right now for me, it's just a lot going on."

The future Hall of Fame guard is in the midst of his 16th and final NBA season, one he has labeled, "One Last Dance."

The Heat, though, will be off on election night, and there are several races that as a registered Florida voter he has taken particular interest in.

"Tuesday we'll be back home, I definitely will have my TV on," he said. "Definitely in the kitchen, where my chef is, they're definitely watching everything when it comes to elections.

"I definitely will. You definitely want to see how things go, obviously from a democratic standpoint, what all these communities, these states, what they're voting for, what they believe in, who they believe in."

He said his interest transcends South Florida and his Chicago hometown.

"Because these are places you travel, as well," he said. "So you definitely want to know what's going on everywhere."